Typewriting machine



April 1939' J. A. B. SMITH 2,152,930

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 15, 1933 III I 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIINVENTOIR ATTOR N EY Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEUnderwood Elliott Fisher Company, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application November 15,1933, Serial No. 698,063. Divided and this application March 14, 1938,Serial No. 195,717

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to keys for typewriters and similar machines.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a key of simpleconstruction and fabricated of parts adapted for economic manufacture,the key affording a comfortable touch for the operator.

One of the features of the present invention is embodied in the novelstructure of same which,

l although comprising a character-disk formed of normally flat material,presents a striking surface of concave yieldable structure to assure aneasy touch in use by conforming substantially to the finger tips of theoperator.

In accordance with the invention, the key may comprise a cup or basemember adapted for attachment to the key-lever stems of a typewriter,the cup providing an upstanding rim within which a ring is disposed, andhaving a normally flat character-disk assembled into the key so that thesame is supported at its periphery or marginal portions only, by thering or other suitable means. A cap having an inturned downwardlydirected brim is placed over the cup and securely fastened thereto as bylugs bent over the cup after assembly. During assembly, the inner edgeor lip of the inturned cap-brim engages the character-disk along anannular line somewhat Within the periphery of the disk and, as the capis pressed into place, the brim thereof causes the normally flat disk toassume a concave or depressed formation, in that the peripheryof thedisk is supported by the mentioned ring. The cap is pressed downwardlyuntil the disk and ring are securely gripped and the disk has thedesired concavity, in which position the cap is fixed to secure theassembly of the key.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 55,503, filedDecember 21, 1935. During the pendency of my application Serial No.

698,063, filed November 15, 1933, (now Patent No.

2,959,615), division was required of certain of the subject mattertherein. This subject matter was incorporated in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 55,503. Further division having been required,said subject matter is now presented i the present application. a

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled key.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the key,

5 and,

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the key parts shown in perspective.

Referring now to the drawing for a more detailed description thereof,the numeral 5 indicates the usual key-lever stem of a typewriter 5 uponwhich is afiixed a key-cup 6 having a flat socket l fitting over thestem 5. The key-cup 6 includes a bottom wall 8 and a side wall or rim 9.

A character-disk I0 is provided, the same being preferably formed of twolayers, the lower layer 10 of an opaque, flexible material having a typecharacter thereon, the upper layer being of transparent, relatively hardflexible material overlying, and preferably afiixed to the lower layerto provide a protective coating for the type- 15 character so as toresist scratching or otherwise marring same. The character-disk I0 isnormally flat, as shown in Figure 3 and, being flexible, may be bent orflexed into a concave or dished formation by means hereinafterdescribed, as 20 shown in Figure 2.

A ring ll rests in the cup 6 and preferably fits snugly against the rim9 thereof, and the character-disk l0 rests on the ring ll, being incontact therewith only adjacent the periphery of the 25 disk [0. Thecombined thickness of the ring H and the composite disk I0 mayapproximate the depth of the cup 6 as defined by the height of the rim 9thereof. A cap I2 is provided, the same being adapted to telescope overthe rim 9 of the 30 cup 6 and hasa series of bendable lugs l3 thereon.The cap I2 also includes an inturned, downwardly sloping brim M of aninternal diameter somewhat less than the ring I I.

In assembling, the ring II and the character- 85 disk l0 are placedwithin the cup 6, the disk l0 being in its normally flat condition. Thecap I2 is placed over the cup 6, the lugs 13 thereof being straight asshown in Figure 3. As the cap 12 is initially pressed into place, theinner edge of the 40 brim I4 engages the disk IE1 at an annular linesubstantially within the ring II, and the normally flat disk 10 isthereby pressed into a tensioned concave shape, the ring ll co-actingwith the downwardly sloping brim 14 by supporting the disk at itsperiphery while the brim l4 presses at a medial area of the disk. It isto be noted here that the ring II is preferably round in cross sectionso as to augment the flexing effect of the brim I4 on the disk ID, inthat the round section of the ring assures only a line contact andpermits a slight rolling action of the disk 10 as same is flexed into aconcave form. The final position of the cap l2 may be determined by thebrim I4 thereof abutting the edge of the cup-rim 9, at which positionthe cap-lugs I3 are bent or clinched under the bottom wall 8 of the cup6. It is desired, however, that the proportions of the respective parts,particularly the thickness of the disk ID and ring II with reference tothe depth of the cup-rim 9, be such as to assure a positive clamping ofthe disk ID in place so as to prevent rotation thereof to obviatederangement of the type-character from normal reading position. In thisregard, it is preferred that the ring ll be made of a relativelynon-yielding material to as sure the desired gripping or clamping of thedisk Ill, although the ring I I may be yieldable slightly so as tocompensate for inequalities in the re1ative sizes of the materials.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided a novelstructure for the keys of a typewriter, the same comprising a cupadapted for mounting on a typewriter key-lever, means carried by the cupfor supporting a characterdisk adjacent its periphery only, and a capaffixed to the cup and having an inturned downwardly directed brimarranged to engage the normally fiat disk in a manner to hold same inconcave form, co-actively with the means by which the disk is supportedadjacent its periphery. The disk, being fabricated of a normally flatsheet material, may be more economically manufactured and, neverthelessin the finished key, affords a comfortable yielding touch for thefingers of the operator, in its concave or dished form. The downwardsloping of the cap-brim, which sloping may substantially conform to theconcavity of the disk, further assures a comfortable, adequately-sizedfinger-engaging surface of the assembled key, the thickness of thecap-brim being so slight as to be imperceptible to the touch.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising incombination, a member adapted for mounting on a key-lever, a normallyfiat disk, means carried by said member for supporting said diskadjacent its periphery only, and a cap secured to said member and havingan inturned downwardly directed brimv overlying said supporting meansand engaging said disk at marginal portions substantially within theperiphery of said disk and co-acting with said supporting means to holdsaid disk in tensioned concave formation.

2. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising incombination, a cup adapted for mounting on a key-lever, a normally flatdisk,

meanscarried by said cup for supporting said disk adjacent its peripheryonly, and a cap secured to said cup and having aninturned downwardlydirected brim overlying said supporting means and engaging said disk atmarginal portions substantially within the periphery of said disk andco-acting with said supporting means to hold said disk in tensionedconcave formation.

3. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising incombination, a cup adapted for mounting on a key-lever, a ring lyingwithin said cup, a normally flat disk resting adjacent its peripheryonly upon said ring, and a cap secured to said cup and having aninturned downwardly directed brim engaging said disk at marginalportions substantially within said ring and coacting with said ring tohold said disk in tensioned concave formation.

4. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising, incombination, a cup adapted for mounting on a key-lever and having anupstanding rim, a ring lying within said cup-rim, 2. normally flat diskresting adjacent its periphery only upon said ring and lying within saidcup and a cap secured to said cup having an inturned downwardly directedbrim overlying said disk and said ring to engage portions of said diskinwardly beyond said ring and co-act with said ring to hold said disk intensioned concave formation.

5. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising incombination, a cup having an upstanding rim and adapted for mounting ona keylever, a ring of round material lying within said cup, a normallyflat disk having line contact adjacent its periphery, with said ring,and a cap secured to said cup and having an inturned downwardly directedbrim engaging said disk at marginal portions substantially within theline of contact with said ring and co-acting with said ring to hold saiddisk in tensioned concave formation.

6. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising incombination, a cup having an upstanding rim and adapted for mounting ona keylever, a ring lying within said cup, a normally flat disk restingupon said ring adjacent its periphery only and lying within said cup,and a cap secured to said cup and having an inturned downwardly directedbrim abutting the edge of said cup-rim and overlying same to engagemarginal portions of said disk substantially within said ring andco-acting with said ring to hold said disk in tensioned concaveformation.

'7. A key for use with a typewriter or the like, comprising incombination, a cup having an upstanding rim and adapted for mounting ona keylever, a ring lying within said cup, a normally flat character-diskresting upon said ring adjacent its periphery only and lying within saidcup, and a cap having an inturned downwardly directed brim engaging theedge of said cup-rim, and projecting within the cup to overlie said ringand engage said disk at marginal portions interiorly of said ring so asto co-act with said ring in holding said disk in tensioned concaveformation, said cap-brim clamping said disk non-rotatively against saidring.

JESSE A. B. SMITH.

